Podcast: Play in new window | Download (27.0MB) | Embed

The path to Native Hawaiian recognition remains murky. Department of the Interior just provided some clarity when it established new rules for a government-to-government relationship with Native Hawaiians. It offers recognition similar to that of Native Americans if Native Hawaiians form an autonomous government. It remains an open question whether the disparate opinions can come together to do that, however. We’ll hear different perspectives on the debate.

Guests:

Noelani Goodyear Ka ‘opua (Kanaka Maoli) – associate professor of political science at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa

Dr. Kalamaoka’aina Niheu (Kanaka Maoli) – doctor and main convener for Aha Aloha Aina

Rebecca Soon (Native Hawaiian) – one of the participants to the Native Hawaiian ‘Aha in February 2016

Davis Price (Native Hawaiian) – one of the participants to the Native Hawaiian ‘Aha in February 2016

Mentioned on the show:

Native Hawaiian Roll Commission

Hawaiian Nation

Protest Na’i Aupuni

 `Aha Aloha `Āina

Break music:  Ke Aloha I Ka Pu’uwai / He ‘Ili ‘Ula Au a He Hawai’I (song) Mark Keali’i Ho’omalu (artist) Call It What You Like (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (27.0MB) | Embed

Overseas tourists are a big source of revenue for some tribes. It’s such an economic boost that the International Trade Administration have the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association $200,000 to help boost European tourism in Native communities. Just what are places that promote tourism selling? What are the benefits and pitfalls of encouraging outside visitors?

Guests:

Camille Ferguson (Tlingit from the Kiksadi Clan and a member of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska) – executive director of the American Indian and Alaska Native Tourism Association

Emerson Vallo (Acoma Pueblo) – former director of the Sky City Museum, cultural center a Haaku museum. Southwest regional board member of AIANTA

Sara Mathuin – owner of Native American Tours

Music Bed:  Traveling Song (song) Judy Trejo (artist) Circle Dance Songs of the Paiute and Shoshone (album)

 

 

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (27.0MB) | Embed

Now is the time for college students to start thinking about financial aid for college. The clock to fill out your federal financial aid form started this week. The more time passes, the less money you have available. There are several scholarships just for Native students. We explore the world of scholarships, deadlines, and financial aid. Is the possibility of a $2,000 scholarship worth the time it takes to write an essay? Do you have tips for applying for scholarships?

Guests:

Carmen Lopez (Navajo) – executive director of College Horizons and Graduate Horizons

Joan Currier – interim executive director of American Indian Graduate Center

Davida Delmar (Navajo) – college admissions coach from the AICF working with the Native Pathways to College program

Break Music:  Tapwe Oma (song) Fawn Wood (artist) Iskwewak (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (27.0MB) | Embed

Americans spend more than 2,000 hours a year at work on average. With that much time on the job, accidents are bound to happen. In fact, nearly 3-million non-fatal injuries happen at work each year. The injury rate for Native Americans is higher than the general population, because they statistically take on more dangerous jobs. Office jobs have their own risks. We’ll get a rundown of the riskiest jobs and discuss tips for taking your own job safety more seriously.

Guests:

Tim Dorian – safety specialist at AMERIND Risk

Kenneth Ruthardt (Mescalero Apache) – safety manager for AMERIND Risk

Shawnevan Dale (Navajo) – risk manager for the Navajo Nation

Elizabeth Dalsey – health communication specialist for NIOSH (Part of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; manager of the American Indian/Alaska Native Initiative in Denver, CO

Break Music:  The Pueblo (song) The Jir Project Band (artist) The Pueblo (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (27.0MB) | Embed

Picking wild berries and harvesting nuts is an important part of Native food culture. There’s still value in using one’s hands to gather food but it’s a lot easier to buy an overflowing plastic container full at a grocery store. We’ll talk about the importance of harvesting nuts and berries to our tribal communities. Is it berry season in your Native community? Are you gathering acorns right now?

Guests:

Vincent Medina (Chochenyo Ohlone) — curator at Mission Dolores in San Francisco, community language teacher, outreach coordinator for Hay Bay Press and KPFA radio host for Day Native Circle radio program

Bernadette Smith (member of the Manchester Point Arena Band of Pomo Indians) — executive director for EAGLE (Elders and Adults for Guidance, Leadership and Education)

Brian Yazzie (Diné) — chef de cuisine for The Sioux Chef

Victor Williams Sr. — Water River Paiute Tribe elder

 

Break Bed:  True Love (The Berry Picking Song) (song) Kalan Wi (artist) Celebrate (album)

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (27.0MB) | Embed

It’s President Barack Obama’s 8th—and last—conference with tribal leaders. We will go over the important moments from the conference. We’ll also discuss the importance of the past White House gatherings and the future of tribal relations with the next president. What is the president’s legacy with Native America?

Guests:

Natasha Frazier (Cheyenne River Sioux) – tribal youth delegate to the white house tribal nations conference from the Center for Native America Youth

Ann Marie Bledsoe Downes (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska) – assistant secretary of Indian Affairs for Policy and Economic Development

Break Music:  Song Of Encouragement (song) Porcupine Singers (artist) Alowanpi – Songs Of Honoring – Lakota Classics: Past & Present, Vol. 1 (album)

 

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (27.0MB) | Embed

Shining Soul, with Tohono O’odham, Diné and Chicano roots, has a new album, “Politics Aside.” Once deemed “Arizona’s Public Enemy” the Hip Hop trio takes their musical inspiration inward, but don’t hold back on substance. And you can still dance to it. The album contains over a dozen tracks that wrangle in urban styles with lyrics that resonate in their Indigenous communities. For them, the music is so meta, and that comes straight from one of the songs on the album. Join us to find out more about their musical statement on the world.

 

Guests:

Alex Soto/MC Liaison (Tohono O’odham)

Franco Habre/The Bronze Candidate (Chicano)

Lawrence Martinez/DJ Reflekshin (Diné)

Break Music:  Doing My Thing (song) Shining Soul (artist) Politics Aside (album

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (27.0MB) | Embed

This presidential election promises to bring a lot of people to the polls; will you be one of them? Historically, Native Americans are less likely to be registered to vote, and even less likely to show up at the voting booth. The people behind Native Vote Action Week hope to improve those troubling statistics. Are you registered to vote? Do you run into obstacles every time you go to vote? We’ll speak with experts about voting in Native America.

Guests:

Jacqueline Pata (Tlingit) – executive director for the National Congress of American Indians

Andrea Sanders (Yup’ik) – director of the Alaska Native Policy Center at the First Alaskans Institute

Coya White Hat-Artichoker (Sičháŋǧu Lakota) – community specialist election and voter services for the city of Minneapolis

Also mentioned on the show:

Make Voting a Tradition

Get out the Native Vote

State of Alaska Division of Elections

Break Music:  Going Home (song) Ulali (artist) Heartbeat: Voices of First Nations Women (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (27.0MB) | Embed

One journalism instructor took his students to the camps at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation to observe first hand the news about the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. We’ll ask what they learned and what other people should know about it. Also, how closely does a Native American candidate have to adhere to Native issues in order to get elected? Those are some of the topics we take a look at as we consider what’s making news in Native America.

Guests:

Mark Trahant (Shoshone Bannock) –  journalist with TrahantReports.com and Charles R. Johnson Endowed Professor of Journalism at the University of North Dakota

Jason Begay (Navajo) – associate professor at the University of Montana School of Journalism

Matt Roberts  – graduate student at the University of Montana

Lailani Upham (Blackfeet, Dakota, Nakoda and Aaniiih) – graduate student at the University of Montana

Break Music: Five Kiowa “49” Dance Songs (songs) Bill Koomsa, Sr. & Kiowa Dance Group Singers (artist) Kiowa – Traditional Kiowa Songs (album)